Some more titles to read while we’re closed, or after we re-open.

All Library locations will close Monday, Aug. 31 through Sunday, Sept. 6 due to citywide budget cuts. Please note Monday, Sept. 7 is the Labor Day holiday and all libraries will be closed. Regular Library operations will resume Tuesday, Sept. 8. We miss you. Here are some books we’ve recently enjoyed.

The Book of Fred by Abby Bardi
Not an average teenager, Mary Fred Anderson has never watched television, eaten meat or read anything other than The Book of Fred. This is the story of what happens when she is placed in a suburban foster family headed by an unhappily divorced librarian mom, her unemployed brother and her sullen teenaged daughter. With empathy and humor, we are shown that our world seems as absurd to Mary Fred as her childhood seems to us. I’ll never forget Mary Fred with her down-to-earth practicality and her ability to adapt without losing her core sense of self. ~ Lois F.

Never Tell a Lie by Hallie Ephron. Ivy is nine months pregnant, has a lovely house, a devoted husband and a web of deceit surrounding her. A woman disappears from a yard sale at Ivy and David’s, and soon mounting evidence points to David as a murderer. It’s chilling to see how easily “facts” are twisted and misinterpreted, and how, as Ivy’s doubts mount, her relationship with her husband begins to founder. What are the secrets from the past that are putting Ivy’s life, and the life of her unborn child, in danger? Creepy, scary, suspenseful-this book will have you on the edge of your seat. ~ Beth dlF

Apprentice to the Flower Poet Z by Debra Weinstein. Getting started in a career can be tough, but working for the Flower Poet Z is hardship duty. Annabelle Goldsmith longs to find the meaning of poetry, and thinks that becoming celebrity poet Z’s assistant will be the answer. She takes care of Z’s laundry, typing and buying cat food… until it slowly dawns on her that Z is not the genius she seems, and may not even have Annabelle’s interests at heart. Is Annabelle’s ambition enough to carry the day? Evocative language and vivid, witty descriptions of New York’s literary scene make this a wonderful read. ~ Ann G.